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SATURDAY, May 18, 2013 — For every study that focuses on harmful health effects of caffeine, it seems there's one that supports the health benefits of coffee. Today's study, from Mayo Clinic, finds that coffee may lower the risk of the devastating liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

A study of the coffee habits of patients with PSC, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and a control group of healthy people, found that people who were more likely to drink more coffee, and drink it more often, were less likely to have PSC.

There was no link found between coffee consumption and PBC, leading researchers to conclude that the two liver conditions differ more than initially thought.

"Moving forward, we can look at what this finding might tell us about the causes of these diseases and how to better treat them,” said study author Craig Lammert, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, in a press release.

Patients from 2002 to 2012 were asked to answer a coffee questionnaire. Overall there were 1,334 patients used — 530 with PBC, 348 with PSC, and 456 controls. Most of the participants were female.

On average, patients with PSC had 50 cups of coffee per month, and were coffee drinkers for approximately half of their lives. Patients without PSC or PBC claimed they drank an average of 78 cups per month, and were coffee drinkers for nearly two thirds of their lives.

Coffee and caffeine have also shown benefits for protecting the liver from the harmful effects of alcohol, and for perhaps providing an overall defense against liver damage.